Good for the heart. (Quick Studies).People who eat beans, peanut butter, and other legumes Legumes A family of plants that bear edible seeds in pods, including beans and peas. Mentioned in: Cholesterol, High legumes (l at least four times a week have a 21 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who eat legumes less than once a week, says a 19-year study of nearly 10,000 people. The researchers couldn't say why bean-eaters have healthier hearts. Among the possibilities: beans have soluble fiber, which lowers Cholesterol, and folate folate /fo·late/ (fo´lat) 1. the anionic form of folic acid. 2. more generally, any of a group of substances containing a form of pteroic acid conjugated with l-glutamic acid and having a variety of substitutions. , which can lower blood levels of homocysteine Homocysteine Definition Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in blood plasma. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are believed to increase the chance of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis. , an amino acid that promotes heart disease. What to do: Eat more beans. Think of them not as beans, but as chick pea curry, split pea soup, rice and lentils, burritos, hummus hum·mus also hum·us or hom·mos n. A smooth thick mixture of mashed chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic, used especially as a dip for pita. , and pasta e fagioli. Arch. Intern. Med. 161: 2573, 2001. |
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